


Leave

by hjea



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 21:39:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8261246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hjea/pseuds/hjea
Summary: A run-in with some HR paperwork forces Amy to come to a realization.





	

“Santiago,” Terry said with a bright smile, his hand clutching a file folder as he moved toward Amy’s desk. 

Amy looked up from her computer screen. “Yes Sarge?” 

“I just wanted to confirm your leave dates before we file this with HR.” He flipped open the folder. “So assuming all goes well,” he looked up and fixed Amy with an optimistic grin, “which I’m sure it will!” he looked back down. “You’ll start your leave on the second week of May and then you’ll be back for August twentieth?” 

Amy pulled up her calendar and nodded. “That’s right.” 

“Great!” Terry proffered the folder and waited while Amy signed the bottom of the form. “By the way, I wanted to say I think it’s so great that you’re able to take the full twelve weeks. We’re going to miss you around here for sure, but it’s so important to get in that bonding time with the new baby. I would have loved to spend more time with my kids after the twins and Ava were born, but we were lucky that at least Sharon got to stay home with them for a while.” 

Amy nodded, a little tightly, and handed the folder back up to Terry. 

“You’ll see, three months is going to fly by. They’re still so little after all, it can be really hard to leave even then!” He offered Amy another smile. “Okay, I’ll run this up to HR Jim right now.” 

Amy smiled weakly back. “Thanks a lot, Sarge.” 

\---

Amy sat on an old chair in the evidence locker, head cradled in her hands when the sound of tentative knocking on the door reached her. 

“Amy?” Jake’s voice called. “I noticed you’d been in here long enough to cross your threshold from ‘actually looking for evidence’ to ‘upset about something and don’t want anyone to know’. Can I come in?” 

Amy sniffled. “Yeah. Come in.” 

Jake stepped through the door and closed it carefully behind him. “Of course the other possibility is that you’re hiding from Charles’ well-intentioned but over-the-line offers to rub your feet again.” 

Amy gave a watery chuckle, and Jake grinned, moving to perch on a stack of boxes opposite her and tilting his head to the side as he gazed at her carefully. “What’s up?” 

Amy rubbed the tears away from her face. “It’s nothing, and I wasn’t hiding from you exactly. It’s just stupid hormone stuff and I didn’t want to make a big deal of it.” 

Jake nodded and reached out to cup his hand around her knee, thumb rubbing soothing circles on the inside of her calf as he waited her out. 

Amy blew out a breath. “It’s just, we just filed my leave with HR and it’s coming up so soon it got me thinking about what it’s going to be like being home with the baby, and then coming back to work again after.” 

Jake’s brow furrowed a little. “Are you worried about getting behind at work? About being bored at home?” 

“No.” Amy shook her head. “I mean, I know it will be an adjustment not coming in every day. But even with my maternity leave I’m still on track to make sergeant by the end of the year. And…” Amy smiled at Jake shyly. “I’ve made a comprehensive list of activities and milestones to hit while I’m home to make sure the baby and I are appropriately stimulated.” 

Jake grinned. “That’s my girl.” 

Amy’s smile faltered, and Jake squeezed her knee. “So…?” he pressed gently. 

“It’s…” Amy sighed and reached down somewhat awkwardly to grab the _What to Expect_ book from beside her chair. She flipped it open near the back where she had carefully wedged a bookmark, and placed her finger on a paragraph. “I was reading this again and do you know that at three months old your baby will be displaying better head control, may be close to doubling their birth weight, and will be beginning to recognize their closest family members and respond positively to their presence?” 

Jake looked carefully interested. “That’s… cool?” 

Amy closed the book firmly. “Yeah it’s _cool_ , but it also means that a three-month old is tiny, can’t sit up on its own, and is only just figuring out who its parents are! They’re still so _little_ and I didn’t really think about what it would be like…”

Comprehension cleared Jake’s face. “You’re worried about leaving the baby when you come back.” 

Amy curled a hand around her stomach. “I want to come back to work after my leave is done, I do. But I guess it’s just beginning to sink in that it’s going to be really tough leaving our baby with strangers too.” Jake opened his mouth but Amy waved him down. “And I know your mom has all that newly-retired energy and wants to help out a couple of days a week. But that still leaves us three or four days when we’re dropping the kid off at daycare.” Despite her best efforts, Amy’s chin began wobbling again . “And its immune system won’t even be fully developed yet!” She wailed, before burying her face in her hands. 

“Ames.” Jake tucked in close to her and rubbed her hunched back. “Amy, listen. I’ve been thinking about this too.” Amy looked up at him through her fingers. “You have?” She mumbled. 

“Yeah. And you know I think spending a week with you after the baby’s born is too little time. So I was thinking, maybe after you’re back at the precinct I can stay home for a little bit too. We can do a full-time parent trade off.” 

Amy straightened, blinking her tears away in confusion. 

“So turns out according to HR, the amount of vacation and personal time I haven’t used is a _buttload_ \--not a direct quote. Other than our honeymoon and that time we went on a cruise with Doug Judy I haven’t taken time off in years. Apparently those months I spent in WITSEC do not count.” Jake laughed a little ruefully. “The new union rep was not happy with me. But bright side… we can totes afford for me to stay home for twelve weeks too!” 

“But…” Amy stared at her husband. “You love work.” 

“Yeah,” Jake shook his head, “but I love our baby _more_. I mean, all it is is a lump under your shirt right now that sometimes pokes me in the back when we’re in bed--” Jake pointed his index fingers at Amy before she could speak “--totally worth it, little spoon all the way--and already I think this baby is pretty much the best thing ever. And like you said, three months will go by so quickly.” 

Amy frowned, even as she felt a stirring of hope. “Well...your mom will be disappointed--I think she was really looking forward to helping.” 

“Amy please,” Jake scoffed. “If you think I won’t be calling my mother in for reinforcement every week you are sadly mistaken.” 

“I…” Amy blinked. “You really want to do this?” 

“I really, really do.” Jake smiled his sincerest smile. “And besides,” his gaze dropped, as it sometimes still did when he strayed into his realest feelings. “I want this kid to know that I’m always going to be there for them. And I figure that starts right away, you know?” 

“Yeah, I do.” Amy nodded, her features softening as she looked across at Jake. She reached out and touched his chin, tilting his face until he met her eyes again. “I love you.” 

“I love you.” Jake’s grin shifted into silliness. “So. Are you so proud and attracted to me right now?” He waggled his eyebrows theatrically. “Want to make out behind the shelves for old time’s sake?” 

“Jake.” Amy rolled her eyes fondly. 

“Yeah you’re right. This place kind of lost its magic as a makeout spot after that time we killed a guy.” 

Amy chuckled and got slowly to her feet, arms pushing into the small of her back in a long stretch. “We should get back to work.” 

“I guess.” Jake hopped up and made to turn to the door before Amy caught the sides of his face and tugged him down into a brief but searing kiss. 

“When we get home,” Amy bounced happily on her toes, “we can add new pages to my list of activities, ones you can do with a three-to-six-month old.” 

“Oh! Yeah, yeah. That sounds fun.” Jake nodded unconvincingly. 

Amy snorted. “And then we can make out on the couch.” 

“Nice.” Jake held his hand up for a high five and then slung his arm around Amy’s shoulders as they walked to the door. “We’re going to be awesome at this parent thing.” 

Amy nodded and pressed her chin against his hand. “You know? I think we really are.” 

\--


End file.
